


How to Charm a Wolf

by Kattekerma



Category: Fire Emblem: Fuukasetsugetsu | Fire Emblem: Three Houses
Genre: Action/Adventure, Alternate Universe - College/University, Alternate Universe - Little Red Riding Hood Fusion, Alternate Universe - Supernatural Elements, Alternate Universe - Supernatural Hunters, Alternate Universe - Werewolves Are Known, Alternate Universe - Witchcraft, Drama & Romance, Eventual Romance, F/M, Full Shift Werewolves, Gen, M/M, More tags to be added, Multi, Mystery, Red Riding Hood Elements, Witches, a lot will happen
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-10-25
Updated: 2019-10-27
Packaged: 2021-01-02 19:49:06
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 9,318
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21166940
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Kattekerma/pseuds/Kattekerma
Summary: Once Upon A Time usually was followed by a description of a beautiful princess or a quaint little town in the countryside. This was neither this nor that. This wasn’t about a plucky heroine or a beautiful princess. This was about a girl’s battle with the pristine notebook in front of her and the whiteboard with an amalgamated mass of math equations. But even the math equations on the board could not prepare her for what was to come.Little Red Riding Hood with a Twist





	1. once upon a time

**Author's Note:**

> If any of you are following me from my bleach story, I just wanna apologize. I've been slowly writing chapters every once in a while for bleach, but from July onwards...I've been stuck in FE3H hell & working on my large bleach world-building fanfic (which you can check out over on the account fleurisms). And of that hell, this was borne. It will be long, it will be angsty, it will be...what it will be.

_ Once Upon A Time _ usually was followed by a description of a beautiful princess, or a quaint little town in the countryside. Sometimes followed by a plucky hero or heroine trying to start a quest to save their hometown. A romantic undertone in the plot that focused on a man fighting against some Big Evil to save his Princess from a Fate incurred by the Wrath of an Evil Witch.

This was neither this nor that. This wasn’t about a plucky heroine or a beautiful princess. This was about a girl’s battle with the pristine notebook in front of her and the whiteboard with an amalgamated mass of math equations. 

Her pencil tapped against her notebook in rhythm to the song stuck in her head. Heterochromatic eyes stared at the board in front of her filled from corner to corner with math equations, letters, and everything in between. In comparison to the board, and to her classmates’ notebooks, her blank notebook looked out of place. It was too clean, too pristine for a math class, lacking the stacked numbers or hastily written down equations, or even the eraser markers from her pencil. Even still, her notebook stayed clean for the remaining twenty minutes of class.

As much as she didn’t like how it made her sound a prodigy, she knew everything listed on the board. It came with the territory of being a scientist’s daughter. If she hadn’t already learned this stuff parallel to learning basic biology in eleventh grade, she too would’ve been compelled to write it down, lest she forget, but she knew it wouldn’t happen; she had little songs made up to help her remember, tricks memorized and therefore, she felt she didn’t need to write it down.

The only reason she was even in this class was because she had failed so miserably on the placement testing last year, blaming it on a rather terrible cold that jumbled all of her thoughts, and she’d been too timid and lazy to retake the placement test. Hazel closed her notebook, opening her planner to write down the homework exercises her professor was dishing out. Putting away the planner and the notebook, she stood, making her way out of the classroom with the masses that now flooded into the third-floor hallway of the campus’ general academic building. 

With various classes letting out at the same time, the hallway had become a hub of chatter as students met up with friends and planned their next moves. She quietly kept to herself until she was able to reach the elevator. She stood amongst the students checking their phones or talking as they waited for the elevator to arrive.

Reaching into her pocket, she pulled out her own phone, unlocking it upon seeing a message from her friend. Sending a quick reply back, she locked her phone and put it away, already changing her destination to that of where her friend asked to meet. Their usual haunt, an off-campus cafe that everyone frequented, was where her friend was located.

Reaching the small cafe located just off campus wasn’t very hard. The smell already wafting towards her as she stepped outside of the building guided her off of the campus, across the street, and down the block until she stood outside of the large storefront. 

‘Eisner’s Coffee’ the large sign above the awning read. She looked the shop over; it was quaint, a little bit bigger than a hole in the wall coffee shop but not too big that it felt like a restaurant. The perfect place for students to catch up on schoolwork or meet with friends, or for the occasional coffee date. 

“Finished with classes, Hazel?” A rough voice to Hazel’s left had her jumping slightly. She turns, seeing the owner of the shop kneeling just beside her. He pauses in his writing on the chalkboard easel to speak with her. “Just saw Sylvain come in a couple minutes ago, actually.”

“O-Oh, yes.” Hazel responds, “T-Thank you...” Jeralt offers her a small smile before he continues writing on the chalkboard easel. “T-The sign looks good t-today.” Hazel quickly heads inside, looking around the somewhat crowded space. 

Despite the large crowd within, the atmosphere is rather warm and doesn’t feel crowded at all. The conversations are light and full of laughter. Hazel scans the cafe, seeing the blue head of Byleth, the owner’s son. He nods at her momentarily before placing a cup down on a table. Hazel waves back before she finally catches sight of the fiery red hair of her best friend.

_ “Finally,” _ Sylvain sighs as Hazel sits down across from him. He slides her a cup. “I thought you’d _ never _ get here. The twins kept asking about you.” Hazel looks past Sylvain to Byreth who is manning the front counter. She nods just as her brother did, to which Hazel responds with a light smile and wave.

“You know my classes don’t end until one on Tuesdays, Sylvie. Actually, you’d know that better if you actually attended that dumb math class.” Hazel grips the cup, bringing it up to her mouth. “Where’s Lys?” 

“She was busy or something,” Sylvain waved a hand, looking the picture of ease. “You know she doesn’t text me unless she absolutely has to, and only in the groupchat.” Hazel hums, pulling out her phone to check her messages. “Besides, I have more _ important _ things to do than to show up for that class, especially when you’re so kind as to sign me in every class. At least I do the homework, y’know?”

“I hope it’s nothing urgent...” Hazel frowns, putting her phone away, “Usually Tuesdays are her shorter days. She’s usually done by 11:30.”

“Aw, don’t worry so much, Haze. Lysithea, the little spitfire, can handle herself.” Sylvain smiles at her, “Worry less about her and worry more about _me!_ _I _have a date tonight and I don’t know what to wear!”

“Of course you do, the week has barely started and yet here we are.” Hazel rolls her eyes, sipping at her cup, “Who is the lucky lady today? Or lucky lad?”

“Lady. Judith from my English class.” Sylvain winks, “Blonde, she’s got freckles. A real cutie. We’re doing Date number five. She’s a quirky type.”

Hazel hums, thinking over Sylvain’s words, “Casual dinner then mini-golf? Well, it’s still warm right now, you could get away with wearing shorts and a printed button-up. Just for the love of the Goddess, please do _ not _ wear boat shoes.”

“And what’s wrong with boat shoes?” Sylvain asks, clearly offended, “Boat shoes are great. They’re a real staple in fashion! You don’t have to—”

“No, they’re not. We aren’t having this conversation again. Anyway, wear that dark blue shirt with the bow tie print and white shorts. Maybe your high top sneakers.” Hazel cuts him off, “It’s been a while since you’ve worn that type of combination.”

“You’re right, Haze.” Sylvain nods, “What would I do without you? Y’know, I could hook you up with someone. Turn this into a cute li’l double date.”

“No thanks.” Hazel chuckles, “I’m too busy for that.”

“C’mon, honey.” Sylvain groaned, “Just cause yer dad and brother don’t want you to date doesn’t mean you can’t. It’s—It’s a _ waste _! You’re a real catch! I’d date you!”

“Thank you, Sylvain. You know I love you so much, but we both know we wouldn’t last as a couple.” Hazel puts down her cup, smiling at him. “Also those two aren’t the reason I’m not dating. I just haven’t found anyone worth my time.”

“I’m worth your time,” Sylvain wags his eyebrows. “But jokes aside, you need to get out there and meet someone.” Hazel chuckles just as Sylvain’s phone vibrates on the tabletop. “Looks like I’m also worth someone else’s time--because I went out there and met someone. Gotta get me a little bit of pre-date shenanigans over with. Gotta go, Hazelin, I’ll send you pics of the outfit. Later!” Sylvain downs the rest of his cup before he gets up and leaves, dropping the empty cup into the recycle bin near the door. 

Hazel takes a few more minutes to finish up her coffee before she pulls out her phone, texting Lysithea to make sure she was alright. Standing, Hazel gathers her bag and barely makes it to the door when she’s stopped by someone.

“Hey,” He greets, dropping his cup into the recycle bin just as Hazel does the same. “You’re Hazel, right? You have Whiteman’s Theory class on Thursdays don’t you?”

“Y-Yes, th-that’s me.” Hazel stutters, eyes wide, “C-Can I h-help you?”

“You sure can,” He grins, “Wanna walk back to campus together?”

“O-Oh, u-um...okay.” Hazel gives in. The boy holds open the door for her. Hazel quietly thanks him and heads out. He quickly catches up to her, his stride matching hers as he walks very close next to her.

“I’ve seen you around a lot,” The boy says, “You’re always with someone, so I’ve been waiting for an opportunity where you were alone. Today must’ve been my lucky day.”

“W-Why did you n-need me a-alone?” Hazel asks, tilting her head. She clutches the strap of her backpack a little tighter to herself.

“I just wanted to talk to you without anyone else around,” He shrugs, “Is that weird? I’m sorry if it sounds weird.” He laughs, scratching the back of his head. “I just get nervous around other people.”

“O-Oh...it’s f-fine.” Hazel finds herself saying, but something about the boy makes her want to run away. She takes a few steps away from him to gain some distance. Either he doesn’t notice or doesn’t care, and Hazel is glad that he does not step closer to her.

“Like I said, though,” The boy continues, “I’ve seen you around a lot, in class and on campus...and I just got kind of interested in you. You’re very pretty, you know?” The two stop at the crosswalk for a moment. Hazel looks anywhere but at the boy while he stares expectantly at her.

“N-No...” Hazel shakes her head, “B-But th-thank you.” Finally, the crosswalk lights up for them to walk and the two cross the street, “W-What did you w-want to t-talk about?”

“I see you with Sylvain all the time, but you two aren’t dating, are you?” Hazel shakes her head, “Oh, that’s great! I was a little worried, but now that I know... That makes everything so much easier.” Turning into the campus, Hazel can see a white-haired girl standing by her car, checking her phone. At that moment, the girl happens to look up, seeing Hazel. “So, I was wondering... Would you wanna go out with me? I mean, I know we don’t know much about each other, but we can learn all that at dinner tonight, what do you say?”

“T-Tonight?” Hazel asks, eyes wide. The boy nods, giving her his best pleading look. “I-I’m sorry...t-this is t-too sudden. I h-have p-plans already, and I--”

“Oh, I’m sorry,” The boy laughs, though Hazel can clearly see how deflated he is. She felt bad, frowning at the boy, “Yeah, it is kind of sudden, isn’t it? No problem, not at all. I’ll see you around, okay?”

The boy stalks off before Hazel can respond. Watching him go, Hazel quickly goes towards her car, not waiting to see if he’d turn around. “Who was that?” Lysithea asks, fixing her ponytail. Judging by how she was dressed, Hazel guesses that Lysithea was at the gym not too long ago, since it was rare she put her hair up.

“I-I don’t know,” Hazel answers, honestly. “He just cornered me comin’ out of Eisner’s and asked to walk to campus with me... I didn’t even get his name.”

“He looked a little weird when he was walking away... like a weasel or something... did he say anything... _ weird _ to you?” Lysithea asks as Hazel digs around in her bag for her keys. Finding them, Hazel unlocks the car and the two get inside. She slides her phone into the phone mount on her dashboard while Lysithea plugs hers into the USB port to charge.

“He asked me out to dinner tonight,” Hazel says as she presses the start button on the car. “I turned him down.” She says in response to Lysithea’s shocked face.

“Good!” Lysithea yelps, “That’s so creepy. He comes out of nowhere asking you to walk to campus together and then out on a date? As if that didn’t scream really creepy already. You need to watch out for yourself better, Hazel. Especially because these creeps love to approach when you aren’t with anyone. How many times has this happened already?”

Hazel nods, pulling the car into Drive and pulling out of the parking spot. “It’s happened twice this week already.” Hazel recounts as she turns the volume down on the radio.

“Exactly!” Lysithea slams her fist into her waiting palm, “You need to stick up for yourself and tell them no right away!”

“I-I try, but...” Hazel stops at a light, “It’s not that easy...”

“I know you don’t like talking to new people, Hazel,” Lysithea calms down, “But you _ have _ to. You talked to me, and look what happened. We’re best friends now.”

Hazel is quiet for a moment, her eyes watching the road as the light turns green. “Talking with boys is much harder than talking with girls.”

“You talk to Sylvai--well, Sylvain is his own type, so I can’t even fault you for being able to talk to him normally.” Lysithea shakes her head, “The point is, Hazel, if someone starts bothering you like that again, you need to call one of us quick and remove yourself from the situation. The Eisners are even willing to help out! If someone corners you coming out of their shop, say you forgot something and go back in and ask them for help.”

Hazel frowns, nodding once more. “I’m sorry...I’ll try harder next time.” She turns onto a back road lined by trees.

“Don’t apologize, Hazel.” Lysithea sighs, “I know that I get worked up like this often, but I’m not mad at you. It’s only because I care and want you to be safe. If this were a perfect world, you’d have nothing to fear...but it’s not. You have black belt training in karate and you can’t even fathom using it on anyone!” 

Hazel glances at Lysithea who is looking over at her, then her eyes go back to the road, “I know, it’s just--I don’t know... I don’t want to hurt anyone.” Lysithea sighs, “...How come you didn’t text us where you were?”

“My phone died halfway through the workout and would you know, they don’t have outlets in the gym.” Lysithea rolled her eyes. “You’d think that because we pay so much money to attend this school for state of the art equipment, they could have outlets for phone charging, but they do not. So, I had to wait until I finished to find an outlet to charge it up.”

“Why were you at the gym?” Hazel asks, curiosity clear in her tone.

“I had a strong urge to run.” Lysithea says simply, “So I decided to make usage of our tuition-included resource of visiting the school gym.”

Hazel hums, her eyes going to the radio for a moment before she returns them to the road just in time to catch a figure walking across the empty road. “Fuck! _ Praesidio _!” Hazel slams her foot on the break, at the same time, jerking the wheel to the side. The two scream as the car goes immediately jerks to the left and off of the road, careening into a small ditch. Hazel’s head slams against the wheel while Lysithea springs forward, then back. Both are slammed back by the airbag deploying and into the headrest behind them.

Lysithea groans, pushing the airbag and scrambling to grab at the handle to the car door. Hazel does the same, unbuckling her seatbelt as she crawls out of the car. She calls out for Lysithea, who yells back wordlessly. Slowly getting her bearings, Hazel climbs to her feet, leaning heavily on her car, which is still loudly blaring the horn. Lysithea stumbles over to Hazel’s side of the car.

“Wh...What happened?” Lysithea asks, pressing a hand to her head. Hazel looks Lysithea over for a moment, glad to see that she wasn’t bleeding nor injured. “D-Did you...hit something?”

“I...” Hazel thinks back, “I...don’t think so...something came into the road...a person?”

“A person?” Lysithea echoes. Their gazes both travel towards the road, but no one is there. “Are you sure?”

“It _ had _ to have been a person.” Hazel firmly states, turning to Lysithea, “I-I wouldn’t have hit the breaks for nothing.” 

Lysithea takes a step back, her hand raised slightly, “I...Okay, let’s just call the police.” Lysithea pulls out her phone.

* * *

Hazel is sitting in the lobby when he comes in, walking straight up to the counter before he notices her. Lysithea sits beside her, huddled close and under the scratchy standard issue blanket as she checks her phone, which has multiple messages making her phone vibrate almost constantly. “Hazel! Lysithea!” He comes over to them, checking them over. “Are you alright?”

“Just a few scratches,” Lysithea sits up, answering for Hazel, “We’re fine, Cyril.” Cyril looks her over, breathing in relief before he turns his gaze towards Hazel.

“Sorry,” Hazel winces as she stands, “I know you had a meeting today.” Hazel reaches out for him, pressing their foreheads together in a quiet moment before she pulls away, “Was Lady Rhea upset?”

“It’s fine,” Cyril answers, “Lady Rhea understands. After I got that call, I was... I told Hanneman, but he hasn’t answered yet.” Hazel hums in response. Cyril clears his throat, wrapping an arm around Hazel, “Anyway, we best get y’all both home.” 

The ride to Lysithea’s house is quiet and short. Lysithea exits the car with a few words, making Hazel promise to text her later on. Hazel agrees and Cyril pulls off after watching Lysithea go into her house. 

Cyril and Hazel are quiet for most of the ride. “...You saw something?” Cyril finally asks as they turn onto their street.

“Supposedly,” Hazel responds, looking out the window. “It was so sudden, I--”

Cyril pulls into the driveway, turning the car off and getting out. He quickly runs around to open Hazel’s door and helps her out. Together, the two enter the house. “What do you mean _ supposedly _?” Cyril asks as he sits Hazel down in the living room.

“One minute it was there and the next...it wasn’t. Lysithea didn’t see it. So I thought maybe it was something... _ different _.” Hazel looks down at her hands, then up at Cyril, “...Like a shadow figure.”

“No way. There ain’t really no other...people like us in this town.” Cyril reminds her. “...and none of us be usin’ shadow people...I know that for a fact.”

“M-Maybe...there’s someone new?” Hazel tries, “Most...of us are affiliated with the Council... but some aren’t.”

“Maybe it was an animal.” Cyril proposed, “Jumping straight to shadow people is... I don’t think there’s anyone who can control shadow people here... we’d know if one of us was in town.”

Hazel frowns, “You’re right... Maybe it was an animal... but now my car’s in the shop.”

“At least it wasn’t nothing serious. You can tell Hanneman that when he calls back all worried. Just some dents and yer car needed t’ be serviced anyway.” Cyril says, “You jus’ take some time ta relax. I guess I’mma order some takeout. I’ll make that brew for you.”

“Thank you,” Hazel nods as Cyril leaves the room in search of a few takeout menus. She then digs through her bag at the vibrations inside. Pulling out her phone, she stares at it for a moment, before placing it down and grabbing a small pouch. 

Inside the small pouch, she pulls out a compact mirror, opening it, she is immediately greeted by a monocle eye staring intently. “Hazel! Hazel!” Hanneman yells, hacking up just slightly that his mustache is in the frame. “I received Cyril’s message! Are you alright?”

“Yes,” Hazel responds quietly, “I’m fine...it was just a little accident.”

“He said you ran off the road! Did something attack you?” Hanneman asks, “Do I need to come home?”

“No, it’s not that serious. Maybe I was just... tired and saw something...A-Anyway, the car just got a few dents from hitting the tree, and I think something with the front tire was wrong, so they towed it to the usual spot.” Hazel smiles slightly at Hanneman’s panicked worry. “You don’t need to worry that much, Hanneman. Lysithea and I are fine, just a little bit sore from the crash.”

Hanneman doesn’t seem to take her word for it immediately but doesn’t push the subject. He clears his throat, pausing for a moment before he switches subjects. “...I called earlier, but neither of you answered. I need a few more ingredients to be brought to me at the cottage. I’ll also need your help, Hazel, with casting the Blessing over the brew.”

“_ Another _ brew and blessing?” Hazel groans, letting her head fall back onto the couch. “Why can’t you ask Cyril?”

“Cyril has his training session on Saturday, but I know for a fact that _ you _ are free.” Hanneman informs her, “I’ll send over the list, be sure to write it down. If you can’t find everything, we’ll have to make due...now get some rest and I’ll see you Saturday.”

“Alright, Hanneman.” Hazel relents, “I’ll see you Saturday.” After a few more words, Hazel taps on the mirror, closing it and tossing the compact into the couch.

Cyril comes back into the living room, a few menus in one hand and a cup in his other. “That Hanneman?” Cyril asks, settling himself on the couch next to Hazel. She nods, shifting herself so that she can lean on Cyril. “Finally got back to you, huh? _ Benedicite _.”

“Yeah, he was concerned as usual. And he wants me to head into the forest to help him with his brew.” Hazel chuckles, taking the menus from Cyril. “Ugh, why do you continue to try and order from this nasty ass restaurant?” Hazel holds up the menu for a pizza parlor. “You know their food makes you sick _ every _ time.”

“Look, I don’t criticize you when you order Chinese food for the sixth time in five days, so you don’t get t’ criticize me for loving Vinny’s.” Cyril flicks Hazel on the arm, pushing her away from himself. “Don’t lean on me, then, if you’re gonna act like that.”

Hazel grunts, sitting up and staring at the menu, “Well, if you’re paying, then you can order whatever you want and I’ll follow along.” Hazel reaches for her phone before handing the menu to Cyril.

“I’ll get my usual, then.” Cyril reaches for the TV remote, turning it on as he does so, “Did he say how long it’d be until he was comin’ back home?”

“No,” Hazel dials the number listed on the menu, then pauses, putting her phone down and grabbing the cup on the table. Sipping at it, she shudders. “Ooh, I hate raspberry. I’m thinkin’ it’ll be finished this weekend.” 

“It’s all we have. I think Hanneman took all the good flavors by you used a lot last week,” Cyril flicks through the channels, “He needs t’ stop lockin’ himself up out there.”

“It’s more annoying that we have to go all the way out there into the woods.” Hazel sighs, “Can you drop me off, at least? I don’t wanna take th’ bus. With the bus,I have to walk even farther.”

“Yeah,” Cyril finally stops on an old movie, “It’ll have to be early, though.” Hazel sighs, picking her phone up again and calling the restaurant. “I’m meeting Shamir around eight.”

* * *

“Hazel!” The somewhat familiar voice makes Hazel turn. Behind her, she sees the nameless boy from the day before, “I... I didn’t think I’d see you today. You don’t have classes on Wednesdays, do you? Unless they aren’t on main campus, haha!” He’s hunched over, breathing heavily before he stands to his full height, towering over Hazel.

Hazel takes a step back, “I-I...u-uh, no.” Hazel finishes lamely, “U-Usually...I-I...”

The boy doesn’t wait for Hazel to finish, “Well, that’s good for me. And lucky again, you’re alone.” He grins in a way that Hazel can’t find endearing, instead, she finds it more repugnant. Heinous passes through her mind as he speaks. “So, um, about yesterday, I’m super sorry I just sprung that on you.”

“O-Oh, i-it’s fine.” Hazel clutches the strap of her backpack, trying to look anywhere but at the boy. There’s something eerily sinister about him that makes Hazel’s head ache and she isn’t sure if it’s just ghost pain left from the crash. Cyril’s brew should’ve resolved the headache, but he wasn’t the best at brews to begin with, “U-Um, I h-have...” Hazel turns to leave.

“Wait!” He reaches out, gripping her arm. Hazel sucks in a breath, voice dying in her throat as she tenses up in his grip. “Woah, hey, chill. I’m sorry,” He releases her from his grip, putting both of his hands up at the rising panic in her eyes. “S-Sorry, I didn’t mean to scare you like that. I just..._ really _ want to talk to you. I really like you."

Taken aback by his words, Hazel stills for a moment, “B-But w-why? I...I d-don’t even k-know your na-name. W-We haven’t t-t-talked before e-either.”

“You’re just... so beautiful, every time I see you, I can’t look away.” The boy reaches for Hazel’s hand. “I’d _ really _ like it if you’d consider going out with me. It doesn’t have to be tonight, but maybe Friday night? I know a really cool, low-key place to grab some food.”

“I-I don’t know...” Hazel looks down at their joined hands. There’s still something about him that doesn’t sit right with her. She swears she can see darkness seeping from his skin, but turns her gaze away.

“C’mon, what’s the worst that could happen?” He draws closer, pulling Hazel to meet him. His breath ghosts on her cheek, making Hazel uncomfortable. “I just think that we would look really good together, you know?”

“And I think _ you’d _ look good thrown in a trash can, don’t you agree, Lysithea?” Sylvain yanks the boy away from Hazel. Lysithea moves to stand in front of Hazel, the look in her eyes making the boy look anywhere but at the two of them.

“More than that, you’d look even better if you disappeared from my sight and never returned.” Lysithea steps forward, “I’ll give you one chance to leave her alone for good. If I see you again, I don’t think we’ll be this nice.”

“Yeah,” Sylvain loudly proclaims, “You better stop stalking our friend or else!” Sylvain’s loud words gather the attention of the few students passing by the area. The boy blushes hotly at Sylvain’s words, ripping himself from the redhead’s grip. “Let that be a lesson to you, you creep. Although,” Sylvain stops him before he can leave, “I can do _ so _ much more than yell. Stick around and maybe you’ll find out.”

The boy gulps, turning tail and running from the three, his head down. “Hazel!” Lysithea turns to the girl, “Are you alright? Jeez, you just can’t catch a break, can you?”

“...” Hazel looks down at her shoes, clutching her backpack strap tighter, “Sorry...”

“Aw, don’t be sorry, Haze. Stuff like this happens all the time, doesn’t make it right, but...” Sylvain drops his arm onto her shoulder, pulling her closer to him. Hazel calms herself, wrapping her arm around Sylvain’s middle. “It’s my job to protect you, although I didn’t seem to do a very good job yesterday. You two alright? Why was I the last to know?”

“Hazel didn’t want to interrupt your date.” Lysithea crosses her arms, “So she waited a bit to tell you.”

“Haze, you guys are more important than some date--which, by the way, was terrible, thank you for asking. Judy complained the _ entire _ time. _ ‘I don’t drink tap water, I only eat chicken fingers and french fries... Mini-golf is stupid.’ _ Just one thing after another, I would’ve gladly come to hang out at your place instead of deal with Attitudey-Judy all night.”

“That just goes to show that you shouldn’t go on random dates just because someone looks attractive to you. Looks and status are not parallel to substance.” Lysithea shook her head, “You’re wasting money that you could be productively spending on other things by going out on dates with women you have no connection with.”

“Aw, is li’l Lys showing her caring side towards ol’ Sylvain?” Sylvain sniffles, “I never thought I’d see the day! You know what? I’m feeling generous. Lunch on me today!”

“Oh, good.” Lysithea smiles, “I had forgotten my wallet today anyway.”

“It seems like you’ve been doing that a lot lately.” Sylvain comments, “Don’t you think, Hazel?”

“I’ve also...forgotten my wallet.” Hazel admits, “So, thank you, Sylvain.” Hazel removes herself from Sylvain after giving him a half hug and Lysithea links her arm with Hazel’s, walking forward, “I think I could go for a burger, couldn’t you, Lys?”

“I could as well, Hazel. Hey, let’s go to that new place in the plaza across the street.” Lysithea completely ignores Sylvain in favor of looking up the place on her phone, “It doesn’t seem like they’re busy around this time of day, which is good for us.”

“Hey, you could at least let me, the person who is paying, decide what we’re going to eat!” Sylvain whines, “Guys! Wait for me, I’m paying, in case you forgot.”

“We know!” 


	2. into the woods

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> the witch enters the forest

“So,” Sylvain clears his throat as they all sit down at their usual table in the off-center corner of the coffee shop. The scene is common, Sylvain sits with his back to the wall, able to see the entirety of the coffee shop from his seat, Hazel sits with a view of the door and Lysithea can see the front counter and bathroom if she were to look up. On the table, there are no drinks yet, just Sylvain and Hazel’s phones, stacked upon each other in the center of the table while Lysithea’s phone rests against them, using both as a stand. In front of her is a notebook, both pages filled with immaculately neat notes and to her left, a textbook, open to a page full of small note tabs. 

Byleth places their cups down in front of them, smiling lightly as he does so. Hazel glances at their cups, looking at the cute latté art on the foam. Hers and Lysithea’s mirrored each other’s in the shape of a cat with its paw up, a cute design, mimicking Byreth’s inner personality, while Sylvain’s seemed to be a series of hearts.

The group thanks him quietly, to which he nods before he’s called back to the front by his father. Lysithea and Hazel trade glances upon seeing Sylvain’s cup. “You guys busy this weekend?” Sylvain sips at his cup, leaving behind a remnant of a heart shapes in his cup.

“I have a few things to catch up on in the morning, but after 12, I will be free,” Lysithea responds, picking up her cup, and blowing on it. “Why?”

“Oh, heh, you know.” Sylvain pops his nonexistent collar, “I just got a gig fillin’ in as a guitarist for a local band. They’re playin’ at this club downtown tomorrow night. Just wanted to know if y’all were available to come see me.”

“Congrats,” Hazel says as she taps away on her laptop, “But I can’t go. Sorry, Syl, I hope it goes well though.”

“Aw, why not?” Sylvain whines, flailing his arms about, “Lysithea, are you coming, at least?”

“I’ll think about it,” Lysithea answers, picking up her cup again. “Why can’t you go, though, Hazel? Is there some school opportunity I’m missing out on? Also, don’t you have other friends, Sylvain? I find it very hard to believe that your circle of friends is limited to Hazel and I. Especially when one considers your womanizing ways.”

Sylvain scoffs, sipping at his cup. “Yes, but you guys are also important to me! Don’t doubt your role in my life, Lys.” Sylvain reaches over to pat her on the head. Lysithea smacks his hand away, “But Haze, why can’t you come watch? You _ always _ make time for your baby Sylvie.” 

“Huh?” Hazel stops her hands mid-sentence, then looks at the others, “Baby Syl—You know I wouldn’t not go if it wasn’t anything important. Hanneman called on Tuesday after I got home with Cyril. I’ve got to deliver him some supplies in the forest.”

“He’s _ still _ out there?” Sylvain asks, incredulous. “Y’all might as well just move out there at this point. The man’s always out there, doing what? I’ve never seen any of his inventions and I practically _ live _ at your house half the week.” 

“He would prefer his experiments be conducted in_ peace,_” Hazel repeats in a mocking tone, rolling her eyes, “Honestly, I’d prefer if he would just do them in the basement at the house like a regular mad scientist. Going out into the forest, it’s troublesome.”

“I’ll say,” Sylvain shakes his head, “You need to be careful when you’re walking through them woods, Haze. You’ve become a _beautiful _maiden, as you already know, and that forest just gets worse and worse as the years drag on. Rife with crime.” 

“I-It’s not _ that _ bad...” Hazel protests, but it’s clear that she is bothered by Sylvain’s words. “I can make my way through j-just fine.”

“Yeah, but I’ve been hearing stories lately. Li-Like this guy,” Sylvain sits up, “I knew this guy who went into the forest to pick flowers for his girlfriend. She was _ that _ type.” He shudders, “But anyway, Johnny goes into the forest, _ do-do-do _, pickin’ flowers an’ whatnot, and when he goes to leave, he gets lost. Can’t remember the way he originally came, went a different way, lost. Whatever.”

“G-Gets lost?” Hazel leans in, fearful, “A-And then what happened?” Lysithea scoffs, rolling her eyes.

“When he calls out, thinking maybe somebody is around, he gets an answer...but it _ isn’t _ human.” Hazel gasps while Lysithea rolls her eyes, “...Do you know what answered him, Hazel?”

“N-No...” Hazel shakes her head, “Wh-What was it, Sy-Sylvain?”

“A werewolf!” Sylvain pretends to bare his fangs and throw up claws, “He was found _dead_ a few days later! And you both wonder why I won’t ‘settle down’, because stuff like this happens! You wanna do one nice thing for your lover and you end up dying by werewolf bites!” 

“Hazel, calm down,” Lysithea places a hand on her shoulder, making her jump, “He’s _lying_. There’s no such thing as a werewolf. And it’s even less likely that if they existed, they’d been in Cethleann’s Forest...even still.”

“S-Still what?” Hazel’s voice quivers, “W-What’s wrong, Lysithea? Have you heard of something too?”

“Even though you’ve told me you’ve been in that forest more times than you can count, especially since you’ve lived here longer than either me or Sylvain...I think you should maybe invest in getting a cloak of a different color.” Lysithea comments, “That bright gold is surely going to attract some unwanted attention.”

“Yeah,” Sylvain laughs, “Don’t you know wolves hate the color red, but gold is the opposite of silver and attracts werewolves?_ Little Gold Going Hood _ is probably gonna get more attention than Little Red _ ever _ could. You’re going to attract the werewolves that killed Jerry.”

“I thought his name was Johnny?” Lysithea asks, then shakes her head, “Nevermind your idiotic story, which doesn’t make any sense, by the way. And your logic on werewolves is ridiculous.”

“My story _ isn’t _ idiotic, Lysithea!” Sylvain whines, “It makes complete and _total _sense. Jack goes into the forest to pick flowers and dies because werewolves killed him, what’s not to get? Maybe if I said it was a ghost, _ then _ you’d be inclined to believe me.”

“N-No I wouldn’t!” Lysithea shakes her head, unconvincingly, “G-Ghosts aren’t r-real, just like werewolves aren’t! Your whole story was bogus, Sylvain! The fact that, oh, I don’t know, maybe Johnny died of natural causes? Or, for example, by falling into a ravine or something? Or maybe even getting mauled by a bear. If he didn’t return, how do they know it was werewolves? Also, how do you know werewolves hate red and silver? Have you officially met one?” Lysithea points out, “It doesn’t make _ any _ sense, they aren’t in any way related to a bull and I cannot _ believe _ I’m sitting here debating this with you.”

“They _found _a body, Lysithea! He was _ maimed! _ And the claw markings were bigger than a wolf’s but not the same as a bear’s!” Sylvain jammed his finger onto the table, “Therefore! He was maimed by a werewolf. I rest my case.”

“Your case was a nutcase, to begin with! She has more luck running into a _bear_ than a _werewolf_,” Lysithea concludes, empashizing her point by jamming her finger against the table. “Going back to the original point, your gold cloak, Hazel. You should pick a darker color. Doesn’t Cyril wear green? Ask to borrow his.”

“No!” Hazel says louder than normal, startling both Sylvain and Lysithea, “U-Um, no...This cloak, m-my mother gave it to me...so it’s special...b-but I could consider getting a-a darker one, I guess...”

Sylvain coughs, while Lysithea looks away, both feeling awkward. “H-Hey, you know,” Sylvain clears his throat, “Spe-Speak—Uh, Speaking of, uh, Cyril... saw you talkin’ with him the other day, Lysithea. What was _ that _ about, huh?”

Hazel looks over at her, interest piqued, “You met with Cyril? He didn’t mention it at all.”

Lysithea’s cheeks darken red at the attention, “I-It wasn’t anything...important.” Lysithea rushes to say, “He works in the President’s office, you know? So I was just...speaking with him in regards to a matter...”

“Yeah,” Sylvain laughs, “I saw them together before we came and rescued you the other day. It’s funny that you say you were talkin’ to him about work because he wasn’t even dressed for work, and y’all weren’t even close to the President’s Office if I remember correctly...you _ sure _ it was about school?” Sylvain wags his eyebrows, winking at her. “The way y’all were standin’ all extra close makes me think some other kinda ‘talk’ was goin’ on.”

“Cyril _ did _ look a little odd when he came to pick me up...” Hazel taps her chin, “I didn’t know he was staying on campus Wednesday either. What did you guys talk about? Was it something important?”

“Nothing important!” Lysithea snaps, nearly snarling at the two, “So just drop it, alright? I just had a couple of things to ask him. What we talked about does not concern _ either _ of you.”

“Alright, sorry...” Sylvain raises his arm in mock surrender, “No need to get so touchy about it.”

“I have to go,” Lysithea says, gathering up her supplies, “We’re having a house meeting and I need to catch a ride with my housemate before he leaves.” Without saying much else, Lysithea leaves the cafe with Sylvain and Hazel staring after her.

Hazel reaches out, smacking Sylvain on the arm. Sylvain yelps, rubbing his arm, “What was _ that _ for?”

“Look what you did!” Hazel frowns, “You _ know _ she’s sensitive about liking him.”

“Not like _ you _ were any better.” Sylvain rolls his eyes, “Blatantly asking what they talked about? You’re worse than me! But did you hear that noise she made? It sounded like a... like a snarl? Like an animal.”

“Yeah, a little bit.” Hazel sips at her drink, “She didn’t even finish her drink... I’ve never been good at this type of stuff. I just want her to know it’s okay to like Cyril. Maybe if they date, he won’t focus so much on Lady Rhea.”

“Eh, we’ll make it up to her, but you can’t force her, Hazel. She has to figure it out on her own. Pushing never did anybody any good.” Sylvain waved his hand, “And on the topic of pushing,” Hazel groans, dropping her head into her hands, already knowing what Sylvain was planning to say, “What about that asshole from the other day? Have you seen him again?”

“No, I haven’t.” Hazel answers before brushing it off in favor of looking at the empty seat Lysithea once occupied, “I didn’t think Lysithea would react that. We should apologize.”

“Don’t worry about it, sweetpea,” Sylvain placates her, “It was me, mostly. So I’ll apologize to the princess. However, missy, you can’t weasel out of talking about this. Let me know if he ever comes up to you again. If I didn’t scare him, maybe Lysithea can hit him with one of those growls.”

_ “Sylvian...” _Hazel groans, shaking her head.

* * *

Hazel putters around the kitchen, dropping items into the open picnic basket on the kitchen table. The basket doesn’t seem to fill despite all of the objects Hazel continues to stuff into it. She peers in, checking her list just as Cyril enters the kitchen. “You almost done?” He asks, putting on his gloves.

“Yeah, just about.” Hazel checks the basket once more before closing it and waving her hand over it. “I think that’s about everything.”

“I’m gonna get my stuff loaded in the car,” Cyril grabs his cloak from the coat rack in the kitchen. “Check the locks and seals for me, please?”

“Is this a weekend excursion?” Hazel asks as she flits to the kitchen windows, tugging on them before running her hand along the frame. It glows faintly before the light fades.

“Yeah, I’ll be back Sunday afternoon to pick you up.” Cyril informs her before heading out the side door to the car. Hazel makes her way into the living room, touching on the windows and doors, watching them glow briefly before she does the same thing in the rooms upstairs.

She stops in her room momentarily, checking her phone. A few messages from Sylvain and Lysithea appear on the screen, most of the messages are Lysithea bickering with Sylvain while he continues to tease Hazel about the forest. She responds quickly before dropping the phone onto her bed and taking the watch off of her nightstand. “Alright, let’s get going, then.”

Hazel heads back down the steps and into the kitchen, pulling her own cloak off of the coat rack and grabbing the basket off of the table. She leaves the house, locking and checking the door before getting into Cyril’s car. “All checked.” Hazel smiles at him, buckling herself into the seat.

“You have everything?” Cyril asks, putting the car into drive. Hazel nods, and Cyril pulls off.

“I hate that I have to leave my phone behind every time.” Hazel frowns, “How do you get by?”

“I don’t have a lot of friends, so I don’t have anyone I _ need _to particularly text. Work doesn’t bother me on weekends or days off often either.” Cyril answers, “It’s not that bad being out at the cottage. It’s quiet.”

“It’s annoying is what it is.” Hazel crosses her arms, “The walk takes forever._ Do not stray from the path!” _ Hazel pulls out her best Hanneman voice, which makes Cyril snicker, “It’s all so...tedious. And I wasn’t able to get everything on his list. No doubt I’ll hear about that. _ A Well-Prepared Witch is a Productive Witch.” _

“What’re you missin’? Maybe we can stop real quick.” Cyril asks, stopping at a traffic light. “The shop is prolly open right about now.”

“The most important ingredient he wanted was..._ Pavore sanguis _like where do I get something like that? He was lucky that I was able to find a shop that was still in stock with eye of newt.” Hazel shook her head.

“Don’t worry about it that much. At least you found the eye of newt. Eye of newt has become really popular lately, hasn’t it?” Cyril comments, “Last time when I was with Shamir, she had pretty much bought out all th’ stock at the Emporium in th’ next town.”

“It’s _ disgusting _ is what it is.” Hazel makes a noise, sticking her tongue out, “I hope he realizes I’m not touching any of these ingredients.”

The bustling city fades into country roads not too long after and Cyril pulls over onto the shoulder just on the outskirts of the forest. From where he’s idling, they can both see a small gray ribbon tied to a tree branch. “Off you go, then.” Cyril ushers Hazel out of the car. “Don’t stray from the path.”

“I’m goin’, I’m goin’. I got it already.” Hazel clambers out of the car, fixing her cloak before she grabs the basket. “I’ll call you on the mirror later.” Cyril nods before he makes a U-turn, heading back the way he came. Hazel waits until she can’t see him any longer before she turns towards the marked tree.

Walking a little bit into the forest, Hazel places her hand on the tree._ “Reveal a Path made for me.” _ She quietly chants. The ribbon on the tree glows and the trees that once surrounded it disappear in a fog. Hazel looks around before she steps on the path. _ “Obscure the Path made for me from the Eyes of those Who Don’t Belong.” _

Turning back, Hazel sees the rows of trees once again appear. She turns forward again and begins walking. And so, Hazel walked and walked...and walked. Checking her old watch, Hazel could see that only twenty minutes had passed from the start of her journey to where she currently was, and the small cottage Hanneman frequented was nowhere in sight. She quietly cursed, hating Hanneman’s insistence when it came to certain things.

The man was as eccentric as they came, preferring to shut himself off from others at times to develop new magical wares, or even scientific ones. Sometimes Hazel couldn’t understand his motives. She could only sit back like the rest and see what Hanneman was up to when he finished—even when she was involved in the process. 

The glint of something just off the dirt path caught Hazel’s eye as she walked by. She paused, turning slightly to face the woods to her left. It was rare that anything not on the path caught her eye. Usually, she’d see animals, or hear the songs of the birds, but today it was..._ empty._ Uncharacteristically so. While she did hear the birds in the distance, she’d yet to see a squirrel or fox or any animal walk across her path. Twenty minutes of absolute nothing was enough to make Hazel’s thoughts do more than wander. 

Just as her mind wandered, her eyes did as well. To her left, there was a glint. Small and distant, but still bright. Her mind wandered even further. A gem? An old tool? A trap she might need to dispose of? The possibilities were endless. But she couldn’t step off the path, right?

Twenty minutes of absolute boredom and curiosity had her ignoring the words so deeply ground into her being from the first time she set foot on this path all those years ago. _ Do not step off the path _. Hanneman’s voice echoed clearly in her mind, but Hazel knew no one was around. If she stepped off the path, it would still be there. She would still find the path and nobody would find her or catch her. This part of the forest was far from the official trails, an area that was scarcely frequented, aside from the road Cyril had dropped her off on. 

No hunts took place in this forest, legally, anyway, and it was considered a protected area. A landmark, marking their city on the map. 

Hazel took a few slow, tentative steps. Each one becoming more confident than the last until she was completely off the path, standing underneath the canopy of leaves of the large tree. She looked up, the trees stretched for miles upward, letting small pockets of light shine through the leaves. Pulling down her hood, Hazel slowly walks around the large trunk of the tree in search of the glint she’d seen.

The small amount of light given by the thick leaves overhead does little to help her, but somehow, she manages to spot a glint on the grassy ground, which turns out to be a silver wrapper. Hazel frowns, picking up the wrapper and stuffing it into her pocket, “Really?” She sighs, “I guess Sylvain was right about more and more people coming into the forest lately...”

Hazel looks around the area, looking for something, anything, that would make her time off of the path worthwhile. Gasping, Hazel quickly moves towards a bush, kneeling in front of it. “I can’t believe this,” Hazel opens her basket, pulling out a small mesh bag, “Cyril better thank me _ so _ hard for this.”

Hazel begins picking the berries on the bush, gently placing them into the mesh bag, “I could make a pie, or use it as a sauce... It’s been so _ long _ since we’ve had Almyran Berries.” Circling around the bush, Hazel frowns at the lack of ripe berries, but her mood lifts when she sees two more bushes right behind the first. The bushes look much fuller than the first and Hazel estimates how long it’ll take her to pick the berries. 

She glances back at the sunlit path, that is still visible from where she is, and notes there are now a few animals using the path. The sun is still high in the sky, barely breaking 10:00. Hazel shrugs. “...Hanneman won’t mind if I’m a _ little _ late.” She concludes, moving to the second bush.

Picking the second and third bushes of berries proves to be a rather easy task that has Hazel feeling fulfilled as she tucks the three bags of berries away into her basket. Hazel smiles, patting the basket as she closes it and turns towards the path. Luckily for her, she hadn’t strayed too far from the path.

Humming quietly, Hazel begins to make her way back towards the path. She’s three steps away from the path when she realizes that her humming had an unwilling accompaniment. She stops, stilling herself as she listens, though she hears nothing. Humming once more, she hears a faint noise. Again, Hazel stops, waiting. This time, she hears it.

A whining cry, almost like a child’s is faint in the distance. Hazel hadn’t sensed any human beings anywhere within this area. Hazel feels the hairs on her arms stand up in apprehension, but the cry is too desperate for her to ignore. She stomps her feet, throwing a small tantrum in place before she pivots, heading in the direction of the crying.

Her steps are slow, cautious as the sound becomes louder. Pushing past some underbrush and bushes, Hazel sees it. In the only spot of sunlight in this small area rests a small ash gray fox. Hazel gasps, seeing the fox’s hind leg ensnared within a glinting silver trap. Quickly, she moves to the fox’s side, kneeling down just in front of it. The fox whines even louder, clawing at the grass to keep it’s distance, “Hey! H-Hey!” Hazel yelps, but doesn’t reach for the fox immediately. “D-Don’t worry! I-I won’t hurt you! I-I’m a friend!” 

Still, the fox doesn’t immediately calm down, instead, it cries even louder. _ “Tranquillitas!” _ Hazel waves her hand in the air before pressing it against the fox’s side. Instantly, the fox calms itself, almost slumping over with a lack of energy. 

Hazel removes her cloak, rubbing her hands together as she looks at the fox. “I’m gonna g-get you out, okay?” She tells the fox, patting it on the head before focusing on the trap. All around, it looked normal, but Hazel knew better. Her sense told her there was magic at work in the trap, though it didn’t feel particularly potent. Hazel hovers her hand over it, getting a gauge of how strong it really is. She stares at the trap for a little longer before bringing her hand down on the side of it.

In a quick motion, her hand hitting against the side of the trap opens it up completely, freeing the fox’s leg. _ “Goddess above, see my power, make this trap into a flower!” _Hazel chants, clapping her hands once. 

Where the trap once was, was a growing bunch of flowers, irises with their yellow bulbs flourishing upwards and out. They looked rather out of place in the area, but nonetheless, Hazel smiles at them. She then looks to the fox, who seems to be patiently waiting for her to acknowledge him.

“Y-You should leave this a-area.” Hazel says, “I-I don’t know if there’s another t-trap around here...” She couldn’t believe someone had set a trap, much less a magical trap in this area. There was hardly any way that it could’ve been Hanneman, as he had taken the usage of live animals out of his potion brewing altogether. 

The thought of someone doing this scared her. She’d have to tell Hanneman the moment she met him. 

She stands, looking to the fox again, “I-I’m serious.” She adopts a stern look. “You nee—”

The yipping of the fox stops her mid-sentence. “Wh-What’s gotten into you?” She bends to his level, “S-Something wrong still?”

“Behind you!” The fox shouts, but Hazel reacts too late. 

A scream laced thickly with fear and surprise tears itself from her throat as she is tackled from the side. She can feel her body tumble down the overhang and into a thicket of thorns. Before she can get her bearings, someone lands on top of her, stopping her from moving, eliciting a sharp noise of pain from her as she is pressed into the thorns beneath her, but not enough to pierce her skin.

Hazel can feel tears of pain and panic brimming in her eyes, making her vision blurry to the appearance of her attacker. From what she can see, it looks somewhat like a man.

There’s quiet grunting as he begins tearing at her clothes. Hazel screams, loudly, which is enough to throw the man off. She kicks him, knocking him back as she scrambles through the brush and away from the man, but he’s quick to recover.

Grabbing her leg, he begins pulling her back towards him, Hazel screams once more, kicking at the man, but he manages to drag her closer, punching her in the stomach and winding her. “Who you callin’ for?” The voice is weirdly distorted, almost demonic in a way that freezes Hazel’s blood, “Nobody’s out he—!”

Hazel can hear more than see how the man groans and grunts. The thick thump of something hard slamming into the man once right above her and then farther away. The thump is dull, like a heavy hit and through her blurred vision, Hazel sees a large..._ thing _standing above her. Black...fur? Or what looked to be fur and a confident stance. 

Hazel wipes her eyes, now clearly seeing the large beast—a wolf, she thought, with dark-colored fur almost like an inky black sky, endless. The snarl the wolf directs at the man has him whimpering before he tries to escape. 

Hazel, feeling all energy leave her as soon as the man is out of sight feels herself slumping and struggling to keep her eyes open. The wolf turns, staring at Hazel for a moment. 

The last thing Hazel sees is the wolf’s large, ethereal green eyes.


End file.
